This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.
You can help kids and adults with developmental disabilities enjoy all that Longmont has to offer, while they build cooperative skills! Imagine!'s Out & About participants are in Longmont for day camp, after-school, and weekend activities! About 75 people enjoy the Longmont Rec Center, bowling at Centennial Lanes, the Dickens Opera House, Firehouse Art, and Yaya Farms. The entrance fees for these activities add up, and your gift will help Imagine! provide even more opportunities to these venues.
Imagine! was established in 1963 by a group of parents who wanted their children with developmental disabilities to have the same opportunities as other children in their community. That early vision continues to guide our mission of creating a world of opportunity for all abilities.
Imagine!’s goal is to help people aspire to and achieve a life of possibilities. With this goal in mind, our services and supports have grown to provide a continuum of supports for all ages of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Out & About, Imagine!’s therapeutic recreation division, offers After School, School Closure Day, Summer Day Camp, and weekend programs for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in community settings. Participants learn vital skills that make it possible for them to participate more fully in society, while affording their parents the peace of mind that comes with safe and appropriate childcare during work hours. These participants require individualized attention from more staff members with more specialized training than that provided by a typical after school program.
The goal of Out & About is to provide a sense of acceptance and self among peers, to enhance participant’s quality of life through the development of socialization skills and coordination skills and to promote community integration. Activities include art and theater instruction, bowling, swimming, fishing, equine-assisted opportunities, movement, sports and games, gardening, and scheduled field trips to local venues. Many of these activities take place in Longmont! These include:
- Longmont Rec Center
- Bowling at Centennial Lanes
- Yaya Farms
- Dickens Opera House
- Firehouse Art Center
These activities strengthen participants’ ability to engage effectively with others and the community. They also offer non-disabled members of the community an opportu
nity to experience more – and more positive – interactions with people who have disabilities. About 75 people will benefit from your contribution to cover the entry fees at these venues.
About the Live & Give Program:
Help shape Longmont’s future in a single day.
On September 26th, Live & Give Longmont brings our community together for 24 hours of generosity. With everyone in the community giving whatever they can, we hope to raise start up funds for a few projects in our community. It’s about working together to accentuate the place we love—so it will continue to thrive today and for generations to come.
